City Views, Country Dreams

Good afternoon from New York.

The past week was challenging at work and at home. The shop was very, very busy. I also learned that I have a bit of osteoporosis. I found it difficult to reach a comfortable level of free time.

Therefore, what a pleasure to wake up on this day off, without any beep from the alarm clock, and to realize that last night's thunderstorms had left this city with a clear blue sky.

This was a good day for a long walk. Central Park continues to show its transition to autumn colors, little by little.
My destination was a glorious cultural institution, Japan Society, that's located way over on the East side near the United Nations. The last time I visited Japan Society was many years ago, to see a Noh theatre performance. Today's goal was to see an exhibit of the textile designs of a Japanese national treasure, Serizawa.
As I had expected, there were very few other visitors at the time I arrived, and so I joined a group of six folks for a tour of this exhibit given by an excellent museum docent. He was British, spoke Japanese, and clearly was very enthusiastic about his subject, and delighted to find us a receptive audience. I usually steer clear of museum tour groups; today's experience makes me question that pattern.

The exhibit truly covered more than textile design, since Serizawa was a master of stencil art. The graphic design and colors involved in the many items on display were dazzling in their elegance, wit, communication, colorways, delicacy and boldness and variety. The way in which the designs bridged tradition and modernity was remarkable. It really is quite a show, and one that I will remember. I want to do a bit more research about this artist and also about the entire medium in which he worked.

It can be so inspiring to see something creative that is far different than anything you have previously know about ... and yet to feel instantly drawn to it. That is the feeling that I had this afternoon.

As I left the gallery rooms that had housed the exhibit, I happened upon another amazing show. Apparently the museum was also being used this afternoon for a gathering of Japanese families who were presenting their little girls in full kimono regalia. The girls were about five or six years old and so beautiful in their finery. Lots of photographing was going on. I felt that I would be intruding if I took out my own camera. It was very difficult to keep my recording totally in my mind's eye.


It was still quite early when I left the museum, and the day was gorgeous. And so I took a bus for a bit of my return journey, but then did another short detour through the Park. The scene below is just at the southern end of the Park. The tranquility of the view helped me hold on to the beauty of the exhibit.

I also managed a few errands before returning home, and then sat down to experiment with a bit of crocheting, just to continue the quiet, restful spell of the day. It is unusual for me to work with mohair, and I had forgotten that I had this skein of frothy pale ivory mohair/wool. I am playing around with a stitch called string of hearts. It will eventually be a twisty, textured, lightweight strand, that might be wrapped round and round to make a scarf. I surely do hope that the mohair bit won't prove scratchy.

I have also done a few sketches this afternoon in preparation for my annual Christmas card project. I think that I might have incorporated some of Serizawa's vocabulary into my card design. Since I will also have tomorrow as a day off, I'm hoping to pursue creative activities during much of the day, aside from the time I will have to devote to yet another doctor's appointment, and a visit to the dentist.

As we head towards Halloween, I do want to send lots of wishes to all you spirits around the world for a delightful holiday.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

It has been more than a month since I have been able to have a walk in Central Park. This shocks me. A five-minute walk gets me to the Park.

Since my last post my life has not allowed me very much time out of doors. I have walked to and from the subway train station. On days off, I have hurried to get my grocery shopping done, I have taken the bus that travels across the Park via the transverse.

I have taken subway and bus rides to various doctor and dentist appointments. The long overdue general check up from my gp (aka primary care physician in the States) has revealed that I must alter my diet to reduce my "bad" cholesterol level. My "good" cholesterol level seems to be graciously high. My dentist is now midway through an expensive fixing of a vintage filling. The replacement will be a porcelain crown. That crown will cost the same as a brief holiday. I will chew in relaxation, reflecting on this juxtaposition of economies.

Work has filled my days and also interrupted more sleep patterns than I would wish. Well, why would anyone choose to have one's sleep patterns interrupted by dreams clearly inspired by work place concerns?

Back to today.

A day off. However, this day off also required me to be up around 6 in order to attend an early managers meeting ... across the Park. I got up, had a non-egg breakfast to respond to my doctor's instructions, and then got myself over to the East Side via subway and bus.

The meeting was much the same as many other meetings.

Afterwards, I visited my nearby former workplace, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the Vermeer exhibit. The Met owns quite a few Vermeers. This fall, another painting, "The Milkmaid," is on loan from the Rijksmuseum. I will surely return to see this exhibit again before the Milkmaid returns to Amsterdam. It was grand to just pop in to renew acquaintance with this lovely picture today. It took me far, far away from work concerns.

Let me now start the photographs!



It was a warm autumn day, with a bright blue sky. I walked back home through the Park, and made sure to take a leisurely stroll down the flag stoned pathways of the marvelous Shakespeare Garden.

I have written about this garden before, and shared some photographs of its springtime face. It is just as lovely during each season of the year.

There were a few other folks wandering around the Garden, and several were taking photos.

There were many more flowers still in bloom than I would have imagined.

Of course, many of the plantings had reached the seed pod stage, yet colors were still plentiful. Lots of bees were buzzing. I was wearing one of my multi-colored hand knit sweaters and for a moment thought that some of those bees were switching their buzzing targeting over to my sweater. I made a quick and discrete retreat.

Even a few roses were still in full flower. The building just visible in the background is a chalet
-styled cottage that serves as a children's puppet theatre on weekends.

I could not resist taking a photo of this pretty mother and her twin girls in the snappy red coats.

Lots of the garden had gone on to its autumn coat. Somehow, this one reminded me of a circular staircase.

There was a bit of breeze and some of the wispier plants were blowing in it.

These stems could easily inspire a drawing or even embroidery.

The area around these lavender flowers showed evidence of some trampling by animals. I do hope that those were not insensitive humans.

I just could not resist taking a picture of these remaining orange beauties, with their jade green leaves.

I am not sure whether these are buds or pods. I just liked their shapes.

You can see just how clear and blue was the sky. And how the rose hips and branches made a design to inspire silk tapestry.

And the Shakespeare Garden also has its shady ferny areas. Again, nature clearly knows how to create beautiful shapes.

Earlier this year, I took a photo of this entrance to the Garden, as spring arrived. I thought it was just as beautiful today.

I continued my walk along the western side of the Lake, and passed under the translucent canopy of a wisteria arbor. The light was beautiful, just after midday.

And then I finished by walk, and began to think of what I would have for lunch.

I knew that I had some leftover soup in the fridge.

Beautiful Central Park does not stay beautiful all by itself. There is a large group of gardeners who care for it. Some are New York City workers, and some are paid by the funding by members of the Central Park Conservancy. I love this Park so much. I am very proud to contribute to the Conservancy

The rakes leaning against the tree in the above photo just seemed so graceful a reminder to all who passed by. Why not help this Park to remain the beautiful place that we love.

My long walk really did relax me, and took my eyes and mind far away from the job place.

I hope that you all will also enjoy seeing early fall in Central Park. By the next time I visit this route, I am sure that the leaves of the trees will be turning yellow, gold, orange, red ... and brown.

Best wishes.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

How is it possible that this is September 2? Can the calendar be correct? Of course, the calendar is correct, and it even tells me that a full moon is just around the corner.

We are beginning to see the last days of our summer in this city.

I had an early start this morning, as I was required to attend a meeting of fellow shop managers, in one of our company's shops. It is a tiny shop in the East Village neighborhood.

My plan was to meet a friend for an early lunch after the meeting's scheduled 11:30 adjournment. If it were a weekend, we could call that brunch. Alas, the meeting ran very long, with lots of chat and questioning and answering.

By the time we did get up and out and said our goodbyes, I was very late to meet my friend a few blocks away in a cafe that we like. The cafe is the sort of relaxed spot that encourages all patrons to linger as long as they like.

Well. I arrived to find that my friend had kindly waited for me and and also had wisely already ordered lunch and almost finished it. Neither of us is a cell phone user. I was so embarrassed to be so late, so glad that she had waited.

I ordered my lunch and coffee, she ordered another cup of coffee. We got quickly into a great catch-up chat and visit. Finishing lunch, we decided to walk westward to the ... West Village, seeking out a park space where we might continue to relax and talk and talk some more.

The space where we decided to find a bench is a funny, wild little garden next to St. Luke's Church. I am sure that some devoted volunteers have been responsible, over the years, for this tranquil spot's evolution.

It is so quiet, with a curving brick pathway rambling around the space. There are perhaps ten wooden benches along the pathway, that welcome folks to either sit and read, or have a lunch, or do a crossword, or sketch some plants, or watch a baby having an afternoon nap, or just chat.

A tall brick wall surrounds this garden, so that the average passerby would not realize what a haven is near.

As we sat there, we saw lots of sparrows, and some butterflies and even some bumble bees. Getting into the rhythm of nature's beauty really does help to soothe our city-dwellers' stressful thoughts. One just gives into the gentle breeze, the dappled sunlight, the respect for the garden that every visitor shows.

Time seems to melt. No appointments need to be kept. No cell phone rings. No helicopter is heard overhead. We spotted a tree that we decided might be some sort of crab apple tree. Most of the flowering plants were clearly nearing the end of their 2009 display. Even so, they were splendid.

After some hours, we did decide to hoist ourselves from that bench, and begin to wander our way out of the garden.

This pathway near the church itself was bordered by roses still producing blooms.

Another pathway lead to the Church's school, and on another side of that path, strollers could see the back of some very beautiful village houses. It is rather unusual in this city to have such access to the back gardens of private homes.

Leaving this remarkable location was not easy; however, we did need to think about getting back uptown to our homes, and wanted to manage that journey before the afternoon commuting rush hour.

And so we did. This was such a refreshing day. I think that it will give me some beautiful little vignettes to remember in the next few days, when shop matters will again challenge my patience. It's grand to have gentle, yet strong positive images at the ready.

Those of you who live in the country may find this tribute to nature's beauty a bit silly. This city dweller thinks that an afternoon like this is priceless.

Best wishes to you all.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

August is a month that is unkind to this city. Summer's heat catches up with us. The air can become a bit stale. The sweet scents of springtime reach a maturity that does not encourage deep inhaling.

Tempers can be short. Hairdos can be twisted and frizzy. Attention spans can be tested.

I live near an intersection in which three heavily trafficked roadways intersect. Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue and West 71 Street. The complex choreography of vehicular and pedestrian motion is directed by various traffic lights. Not all participants follow the directions.


The above photo shows a yellow taxi whooshing through a walkway as some walking workers returning home try to share the space. It is twilight and the soft colors of early evening give a bit of atmosphere to the picture.

Here is another view of the homecoming crew. Just behind them you will see a city bus on its way down Broadway, and just to the left of that bus is one of two little "subway houses" that provide entry to those wishing, or required, to ride the subway trains. The station's below ground train platforms are hot, very, very hot. It is a blessing when the air-conditioned subway train arrives and its door click open.

We New Yorkers pretend to ourselves that we get used to summer in the City. Some of us so wish that we could give the month of August a miss.

I did not have to work today and gave myself a pretty agenda-less day, with only a few errands, and some phone calls to friends, and a bit of reading and needle crafting.

Mid-afternoon, after the midday heat, I went out for a short walk. I returned to find a huge traffic jam at the intersection I showed you. Trucks, cars, firetrucks, ambulances, police cars, pedestrians, bicycling persons. Horns honking. Sirens shrieking. Two police women were valiantly attempting to direct the traffic flow.

Tempers were rising.

What had happened? Was it the subway? Was anyone hurt? We New Yorkers know that bad things can happen.

Well. What had happened was that one of those fast-moving yellow taxis had tried to make an unauthorized left-hand turn from a lane reserved for buses, and had been cut off by other traffic. Having no where to go, the taxi had crashed through the supposedly protective iron fencing around the traffic island and crashed into the subway house.

I am delighted to report that only minor injuries resulted. What concerns me is that we now have proof that those iron fences are no protection to pedestrians about to enter the subway stations.

The above picture shows the yellow police tape that has now blocked off the accident site. In the background is another NYC landmark, Gray's Papaya, purveyor of delicious hot dogs and legendary papaya juice. See the sign proclaiming a Recession Special.

Here is another view of traffic continuing up Amsterdam Avenue.

And another view of folks looking at the site of the accident.

And finally, here is the southern, or downtown, entrance to the subway station. The station remained open for passengers throughout the afternoon excitement. Our city just keeps going.

I know that I will have to continue to take the subway, and will continue to look in all directions before crossing any street. Unless my attention is diverted. Accidents can and do happen.

Best wishes to all.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

What a beautiful summer day is now just about to end. And with another 24 hours, my week off will also be about to end.

I've found the days pass by with a welcome pace, and have found time for what seems so elusive when I am always about to go to the shop, or tired from having been to that shop.

I have had delightful lunches with friends. I have gotten to Central Park several times. I have been to some beautiful galleries and museums. I have gotten my sketch book out and actually sketched and painted.

I have had my ophthalmologist give my glaucoma riddled eyes the healthy okay. I have had my treasure of a stylist bring my hair back to precise bob-dom. Shocking even to me, I have done a bit of apartment cleaning.

Perhaps even more shocking, I have even been taken out to dinner by a charming man, who continues to offer me invitations though I show him little encouragement.

And, today I went to the movies, for the first time making use of my senior citizen discount.

The film that I saw, Julie and Julia, has just opened. One of its stars is Meryl Streep, who normally I do not seek out, even though she is an acclaimed and accomplished actress. Back in the 1970's, she lived not far from me, and I know that she is not a tall person. I really wanted to see how she would portray the legend that was Julia Child.

This film is a depiction of two marriages that are linked by a blog begun by Julie Powell, who very much admired Mrs. Child.

I liked the movie much more than I had expected I would. It took me back to my early days in early apartments, when I began to learn how to cook. Nowadays, I rarely use recipes, except when baking, but back then I regularly referred to several books.

The Joy of Cooking is a very good manual and my copy still has its tattered dust cover.
My aged copy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook is a brittle-papered paperback. I still use it for many baking recipes around Christmastime.

However, it was when I first became of aware of Julia Child that I discovered that with a bit of time, it was possible to actually prepare classic dishes.

The dust cover for my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking is long since gone. There are strange stains on various pages, remnants of meals prepared decades ago.

I used to love experimenting with the book's recipes, and felt so accomplished when something turned out just right. Many of these dishes were prepared for long lost boyfriends. I cannot tell you the last time that I made a souffle, although I do still have several porcelain baking dishes at the ready.

Seeing that film today really did take me back to a time when I still had so much to discover about life. Sitting here now, and thinking about the scenes depicted in the film has got me a bit contemplative. It was lovely to sit in that dark movie theatre, and see the glory of Paris and the more familiar challenges of bringing beauty and civilization to certain more modest NYC neighborhoods.

The director and cinematographer did wonders to make the rather petite Ms. Streep seem to be the very tall Mrs. Child. I will also admit that Ms. Streep did a marvelous job of bringing Mrs. Child back to us. I suspect that kitchens might soon be busy again in many homes.

The film also opened up anew the question of ... why do we write blogs, and for whom do we write them.

Best wishes to all.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

What a delight it is to explore New York with a friend. What a double delight when the exploring takes place in the morning of a day that features blue sky, puffy clouds and a bit of a breeze.


The area of New York that I explored is called the High Line. It has been created on a formerly derelict span of elevated rail line very near the Hudson River, on the western boundary of our fantastic city. The architects, engineers, and gardeners that have worked on this project should be very, very proud of their achievement. It is new, yet seems to be in harmony with all the neighborhood scenes that one can view from its three/four-story height. One can see the river, and watch boats and ships pass by. One can see and remark upon the various trees, shrubs, wildflowers, not so wild flowers and grasses that have been planted along this walk way.



The walkway itself is done in planks that are reminiscent of seaside boardwalks, and have a north-south orientation that echos the original railway direction.

We have had a very wet June and July in New York, and many of the plants are quite overgrown and blowzy. They are sculptural and crazy, and grab your attention. Little children love to run back and forth along this walkway, and to see their city from very different angles.

There are many buildings along the Hudson Riverside that are dramatic. There are others that show no particular attention from architects, yet are still interesting in the mix.

Along the walk, one comes upon clever benches upon which to sit. These benches also have a design that derives from rails. Some manage to be in shady spots, although most of the walk is in brilliant open air.

The juxtaposition of being above the city, and yet in the city, is fascinating. Scale constantly shifts. Savvy advertisers know where to post a poster or two.

Between the location of the High Line and the Hudson River is another area where many warehouses still function as warehouses, but many now function as either art galleries or very, very expensive housing.

At one point, the original rail line ran straight into a building. (There was an entrance to that building that allowed trains to unload their freight right into the building.) And, in a witty homage to that original notion, the High Line also dives straight through a building, treating it like a covered bridge. This gives a welcome bit of deep shadow, and opportunity to sit with one's laptop, and contemplate distant views of New Jersey across the river.

Back out in the sunshine, the pathway decides to duck under, yes under, a modern hotel that straddles the High Line on what must be very strong pillars.

At this point, the length of this spectacular walk is less than a mile. It will be extended. I so look forward to returning to see this route in late afternoon, early evening, and as the seasons change.

May I extend huge thanks to fabulous Elizabeth , for introducing me to this wonderful addition to our city. Any readers who have not already done so are very much encouraged to visit any of Elizabeth's blogs. Her photos are much, much better than mine.

Sweet dreams to all.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

About this time yesterday, I returned home from the shop relieved that I had commenced my week of vacation. Seven sequential days off. Last spring I was also able to have that sort of break and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was such a pleasure to go to sleep knowing that I would not have to hear the alarm clock's beep on Sunday morning.

Surprises were in store. Around 1:30 am, the sirens of four arriving fire trucks woke me. I do live in a big city, and we are very glad to have various siren-equipped vehicles available on call, each vehicle carrying well-trained professionals. This is our urban village. In the middle of the night it is wonderful to know that a response to an alarm will be quick.

And so, wide awake as I realized that more than one fire truck had stopped somewhere near my apartment building, I wandered over to the window to see what was the matter. (Do you all hear a bit of Twas the Night Before Christmas?) I did indeed see at least three fire trucks and at least five firemen getting out of some of those trucks and entering my building. Smoke? I did not smell it. I sort of took my place at the window, parting the shades, and tried to gauge the engagement of the various firemen. It really seemed that this was not a major emergency, and yet, I did wait to see that encouraging moment when the firemen climbed back onto their trucks and slammed those doors shut, and relaxed to see all the trucks depart.

I went back to sleep.

Not long before 5 am, I was again roused from my usual very deep sleep by the ringing of my telephone. Again, I got up and answered the phone to hear the welcome, even at that hour, voice of a dear London friend. We have known each other for years, yet she still has trouble really, really focusing on the difference in our time zones. All the same, it was great to have this call, and to get caught up with each other. She berates me for working too hard, and for not having been to London in far too many years. We laughed a lot, and eventually I did hang up that phone, and ... got back to sleep.

If I had needed to be up early and ready for work today, those night time surprises would have been trouble. How wonderful to realize, when my eyes next opened, that I did not have to go to work.

Even horrid weather was not a downer. I got laundry and grocery shopping done well before today's series of thunder storms arrived. My building doorman filled me in on the fire brigade visit. Apparently, some tenant on the eleventh floor had sent something that was still alight down the chute of the trash compactor. The lit whatever had extinguished itself prior to the arrival of the valiant firemen, and only smoke remained as evidence. All the same, how good to know that the situation was checked out.

Once all that was sorted out, and the Sunday paper read, and lunch eaten...I took out my pencils, paints, brushes and paper, and...

I did a few pencil doodles, and then, painted this little water color that I will cut out tomorrow and mail out as a birthday card for someone who was once an August baby.

It was so much fun just to play about with the paints, and dot and blot and dot again.

It has been an age since I actually got round to even this level of painting. I am hoping that the next six days will lead me further along the path. Even a giant thunderstorm can be a welcome catalyst.

Best wishes to all for dream-filled sleep.